Gas prices at a station in South San Francisco, Calif., Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012.

Paul Sakuma
/ AP

Originally published on March 1, 2012 8:26 am

With Republicans blaming his energy policies for higher gas prices and rising fears that U.S. gas prices could hit an average of $5 a gallon, President Obama on Thursday will renew a call Democrats make whenever oil prices rise that Congress repeal tax breaks for oil companies.

Mitt Romney said his misunderstanding of an interviewer's question accounted for why he said he opposed the Blunt amendment that would let employers refuse to provide contraceptive coverage in the health insurance offered workers. He actually does support the amendment, the Republican presidential candidate said.

Romney won the Wyoming straw polll with 38.99 percent of the vote compared with the runner-up, Rep. Ron Paul with 20.83 percent, according to results from the state's Republican Party.

Andrew Breitbart, the blogger behind BigGovernment.com who had become a voice of growing influence in conservative media circles and was known for his role in several political controversies, died at age 43 Thursday morning. His death was said to be from "natural causes" according to the Biggovernment.com web site.

A superPAC has formed with the express purpose of unseating incumbents of either party. National Journal reports the group plans to wade into about a dozen primaries to help defeat incumbents it views as symbols of what's wrong with Washington.

A new poll by Opinion Dynamics gave Sen. Scott Brown, the Republican, a 10-percentage point lead over his Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren. Another recent poll by Suffolk University indicated Brown had a similar lead.

A federal judge in Montana explained he wasn't a racist even though he sent an email with a racist joke involving President Obama's mother from his work account to several people.